Laos's Society

Laos's Society

Traditional Culture
Laos's complex ethnic stratification means that when one usually speaks of Lao culture, one is truly referring to the lowland Lao or Lao Loum, who represent only about half the population. Lowland Lao culture predominates in the cities, towns and villages of the Mekong River valley, that is to say in Western Laos from Huay Xai to Pakse, but on the official level the customs practiced in these areas are in large part taken to be the 'national culture' by the country's rulers.

An ageing, hand-painted propaganda billboard standing on a street corner near Wat Si Sakct in Vientiane exemplifies this cultural mandate. It depicts a future Vientiane skyline marked by tall, modernistic buildings interspersed with Buddhist wat; in the foreground citizens wearing traditional Lao dress are dancing the lam w6ng, playing the khaen, carrying Buddhist offerings and performing a baasli (a ceremony in which 32 guardian spirits are symbolically bound to the participant for health and safety's sake - see the boxed text in the Religion section). Hence the true Lao according to official image propaganda proudly bear the sartorial and artistic symbols of their culture, practice the majority religion and participate in important ceremonial acts that are deemed 'Lao'.

Dress
A good Lao dons some portion of the traditional garb during ceremonies and celebrations - the men only a phaa biang (shoulder sash), the women a similar sash, tight-fitting blouse, and phaa nung (sarong). In everyday life a man dispenses entirely with traditional Lao clothing, dressing in the international shirt-and-trousers style, as long as his clothing contributes to a neat and clean appearance, and as long as his hair is neat and short. Women, on the other hand, are expected to wear the phaa nung daily, except when participating in sports or in a profession that requires a uniform. Other ethnicities living in urban Laos - particularly Chinese and Vietnamese women - forego the phaa nung as daily wear, but even they must don the Lao sarong when they visit a police or prefecture office, or risk having any civic requests denied - or perhaps not being served at all.

Cultural Traits
To a substantial degree 'Lao-ness' is defined by Buddhism, specifically Theravada Buddhism. More austere and inward-looking than its Mahayana counterpart in northern and eastern Asia, Theravada emphasizes the cooling of the human passions and thus strong emotions are a taboo in Lao society. Kamma (karma), more than devotion, prayer or hard work, is believed to determine one’s lot in life, hence the Lao tend not to get too worked up over the future. This trait is often perceived by outsiders as a lack of ambition.

The cultural contrast between the Laos and the Vietnamese is an example of how the Annamite Chain has served as a cultural fault line dividing Indic and Sinitic - Theravada and Mahayana - zones of influence. Like their Chinese mentors, the Vietnamese are perceived in Asia as hard workers and aggressive businesspeople. The French coined this saying: 'The Vietnamese plant rice, the Cambodians watch it grow and the Lao listen to it grow.' The Lao have their own proverb that says 'Lao and Viet, like cat and dog'.

Lao commonly express the notion that 'too much work is bad for your brain' and they often say they feel sorry for people who 'think too much'. Education in general isn't highly valued although this attitude is rapidly changing with modernization. Avoiding any undue psychological stress, however, remains a cultural norm. From the typical Lao perspective, unless an activity- whether work or play contains an experiential element of muan (fun), it will probably lead to stress. Hence the Lao are quite receptive to outside assistance and foreign investment, since it promotes a certain degree of economic development without demanding a corresponding increase in local productivity.

The Lao government wants all the trappings of modern technology - the sky- scrapers of the propaganda billboard - without having to give up any of the Lao traditions, among them the muan zeitgeist. The challenge for Laos in the future is to find a balance between cultural preservation and the development of new attitudes that will lead the country towards a measure of self-sufficiency.

Etiquette
Visiting Temples
The Lao are devout Buddhists, and upon visiting Lao Buddhist temples you owe a measure of respect to the people who so graciously allow you to enter their places of worship. Correct behavior in temples entails several guidelines, the most important of which is to dress neatly and to take your shoes off when you enter religious buildings such as the sim. Shorts or sleeveless shirts are considered improper dress for both men and women; Lao citizens wearing either would be turned away by monastic authorities, but the Lao are often too polite to refuse entry to improperly clad foreigners.

Buddha images are sacred objects, so don't pose in front of them for pictures and definitely do not climb or sit upon them. When sitting in front of a Buddha image, do not point your feet towards the image. The Lao usually employ the 'mermaid pose' when facing an image, which keeps both feet pointed to the rear.

If you want to speak with a monk (the occasional monk can speak English or French), try to keep your head a bit lower than his. If he's sitting, you should sit, too (use the 'mermaid pose'); if he's standing, you may have to bend down a bit to show proper respect. Women should never touch monks or hand them objects (instead, place an object on a table or other surface in front of a monk).

A few of the larger wat in Vientiane charge small entry fees. In other temples, offering a small donation before leaving the compound is appropriate but not mandatory. Usually there are donation boxes near the entry of the sim or next to the central Buddha image at the rear. In rural wat, there may be no donation box available; in these, it's OK to leave money on the floor next to the central image or even by the doorway no-one is likely to steal it.

Social Gestures
Traditionally, the Lao greet each other not with a handshake but with a prayer-like palms-together gesture known as a nop or wai. If someone nops .you, you should nop back (unless it is a child). But nowadays the Western-style handshake is just as common and most Lao will offer the same to a foreigner.

The feet are the lowest part of the body (spiritually as well as physically) so don't point your feet at people or point at things with your feet. Don't prop your feet on chairs or tables while sitting. Never touch any part of someone else's body with your foot.

In the same context, the head is regarded as the highest part of the body, so don't touch Lao people on the head - or ruffle their hair - either. If you touch someone's head accidentally, offer an immediate apology or you'll be perceived as very rude.

When handing things to other people you should use both hands or your right hand only, never the left hand (reserved for toilet ablutions). Books and other written material are given a special status over other secular objects. Hence you shouldn't slide books or documents across a table or counter-top, and never place them on the floor - use a chair instead if table space isn't available.

Shoes
Shoes are not worn inside people's homes, nor in some guesthouses and shops. If you see a pile of shoes at or near the entrance, you should respect the house custom and remove your shoes before entry.

Visiting Homes
The Lao can be very hospitable and although overnight stays in Lao homes are still frowned upon by the government (which requires that any foreigner spending the night be registered with the police), it's not unusual to be invited to a Lao home for a meal or a sociable drink.

Even if your visit is very brief, you will be offered something to eat or drink, probably both - a glass of water, a cup of tea, a piece of fruit, a shot of Ido-/60 (distilled rice liquor), or whatever is on hand. You are expected to partake of whatever is offered, whether you've already eaten or not,
whether you're thirsty or not; to refuse at least a taste is considered quite impolite. In the case of Lao-Lao, you are expected to drink a full jigger (or the rough equivalent) in one gulp. Subsequent drinks may be refused, but the first cannot. Some hosts will pour a bit of rice liquor onto the floor during such occasions as an offering to the house spirit. You must remove your shoes before entering a Lao home.

Dress & Attitude
Shorts other than knee- length walking shorts (for men too), sleeve- less shirts, tank tops (sing lets), short skirts and other beach-style attire are not considered appropriate dress in Laos for anything other than sporting events. Such dress is especially counter-productive if worn to government offices.

Many visiting women find that the traditional Lao phaa sin or long-patterned skirts make fine travel clothing.

Sandals or slip-on shoes are OK for almost any but the most formal occasions. Short-sleeved shirts and blouses with capped sleeves likewise are quite acceptable in Laos.

When things go wrong, don't be quick to anger - it won't help matters, since losing one's temper means loss of face for every- one present. Talking loudly is perceived as rude behavior by cultured Lao, whatever the situation.

A smile and sabai-dli (the Lao greeting) goes a long way towards calming the initial trepidation that locals may feel upon seeing a foreigner, whether in the city or in the countryside upcountry When traveling in minority villages, try to find out what the local customs and taboos are, either by asking someone or by observing local behavior closely. Here are several other guidelines for minimizing the negative impact on the local people.

Many tribes fear photography, so you should al- ways ask permission, through hand gestures if necessary, before pointing your camera at tribal people and/or their dwellings. Show respect for religious symbols and rituals.

Avoid touching spirit houses, household altars, village totems (including village gates) and other religious symbols, as this often 'pollutes' them spiritually and may force the villagers to perform purification rituals after you have moved on.

Keep your distance from ceremonies being performed unless you're asked to participate. Do not enter a village house without the permission or invitation of its inhabitants.

Practice restraint in giving things to tribes people or bartering with them. Food and medicine are not necessarily appropriate gifts if they result in altering traditional dietary and healing practices. The same goes for clothing. Tribes people will abandon hand-woven tunics for printed T-shirts if they are given a steady supply. If you want to give something to the people you encounter, the best thing is to make a donation to the village school or some other community fund